Box Score
ELLENSBURG (Oct. 25) -- Senior
Marcy Hjellum (Kennewick/Kamiakin HS) had a career-high 24 kills, but the nationally-ranked Central Washington University volleyball team was outlasted by Montana State University Billings in a five-set match on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion, with the Yellowjackets defeating the Wildcats 25-27, 25-17, 24-26, 25-23, 15-10.
CWU, ranked 22nd nationally in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll, suffered its first home loss of the season and just its second-ever home loss versus MSUB (9-10, 6-5 GNAC).
Hjellum, whose previous career-high for kills was 22 earlier this season, amassed her match-best total in 66 attempts with just six errors for a team-leading .273 percentage. She was the focal point of an offense that hit just .142 -- nearly seventy points below its season average of .211. A significant contributor to the lower hitting percentage were 16 total blocks by Montana State Billings, while the Yellowjackets also dug 81 balls to the Wildcats' 61.
Each of the three sets that were decided by two points were nail-biters throughout that neither team could take control of. All told, the teams had 46 ties and 19 lead changes over the five-set match, including 17 ties in the opening set that CWU won by a 27-25 count. The fourth set saw a total of 18 ties, but the Wildcats were either tied or playing from behind after their final lead of 16-15 in the frame. CWU did not lead in the fifth after MSUB scored the first two points of the set.
Neither team served particularly well, as each team had just four service aces and committed at least 11 service errors (CWU had 11, MSUB 12).
In addition to Hjellum's kill total, redshirt freshman
Rachel Hanses (Yakima/West Valley HS) and junior
Erin Smith (Selah) had double figure totals with 11 and 10, respectively. Smith also had four assisted blocks, while redshirt freshman
Zoe Iida (Bothell) had 13 digs to lead the Wildcats.
MSUB junior Taylor Adams and sophomore Monica Grimsrud carried the Yellowjacket offense, combining for 40 kills. Adams had 23 kills and hit .655, adding six assisted blocks to her totals. Grimsrud finished with 17 kills, 20 digs, and five blocks, while Erin Compton led all players with 36 digs.
CWU will look to return to the win column this Saturday (Oct. 27), hosting Seattle Pacific University in a 7 p.m. match at Nicholson Pavilion.
